The Underground
by shield-maiden
Summary: Set in the future where mutants are feared and looked down on many of them have taken refuge under the streets.
1. Into the Dark

Disclaimer: I don't own x-men evolution, Marvel and the WB do. I do own my made up characters though, so please don't take them, they like it here.  
  
This takes place in the future of x-men evolution and you probably won't be seeing the regular team for a while. But I thought I'd add the disclaimer just in case.  
  
  
  
Jessica slinked through the shadows in the abandoned subway tunnel, keeping her right hand on the wall at all times. Specter had told her that there would be a secret entrance in this tunnel to a safe haven for people like her. Uggh, just thinking about him sent shivers down her spine. He had been extremely creepy when he had grabbed her arm in the street only the day before, his pale skin glinting in the afternoon sun and nothing but rags around him for warmth. Thinking about it she pulled her jacket closer around her and returned her right hand to the wall.  
  
"Why did I ever listen to him," she asked herself, " I'll probably be lost in these tunnels, which could have been what he wanted all along." She suddenly fell forward as her mittened hand was caught in a crack. Now on her knees she pulled her other hand's mitten off with her teeth and maneuvered her backpack around to the front. Unzipping it she fumbled for her flashlight, which was right on top, and turned it on, watching the rats scamper from the light. She clumsily directed the light to where her hand had become wedged.   
  
Taking a closer look she realized that the crack her hand was caught in was the door she had been looking for all along. Putting the flashlight under her right arm she began to struggle to free herself and possibly open the door in the process.   
  
" This would be so much easier if I could blow things up," she grunted, pulling at the captive hand. After fifteen minutes she was rather exhausted and hungry. " Probably lunchtime," she told herself, letting her flashlight fall to the ground. She hadn't eaten much for breakfast, hoping to make a fast getaway. Once again she put her hand inside her bag and searched for the orange she had packed.  
  
"Wouldn't ya know it's on the bottom," Jessica muttered pulling it out. She then placed it between her knees and with a flick of her wrist her nails became claws. She ran her index finger along the peal a couple of times and then resorted to using her teeth to pry the peel off. It tasted bitter but it was all worth it when she reached the fruit. It didn't take long for her to polish it off. Now rested and less hungry she tried again to pry the door open. Using both her hands she jerked backward and the door slowly opened to reveal even more darkness. She grabbed her backpack and brandished her flashlight as she entered.   
  
An arm quickly snaked around her neck as her other arm was twisted behind her back causing her to drop her flashlight. " Who are you," a voice growled into her ear.   
  
"J-Jessica," she stammered.  
  
" So you're the new mutant." He released her and she pulled away from him and grabbed her flashlight, shining it in his eyes. 'Mutant?' she thought to herself. She had never thought of herself that way. Strange maybe, but a mutant?  
  
" Yeah, what about it," she snapped.  
  
Shading his eyes he replied," We've been expecting you."  
  
"You were?"  
  
" You didn't think Specter wouldn't have warned us that you were coming did ya?" he snickered.  
  
"How'd he know I would even come?"  
  
" Specter has a gift for reading people's thoughts and emotions. He tells us in advance so we can make some room for them. Enough chit-chat though, why don't I let you in? Just remember this before entering, once you enter there is no turning back, no leaving."  
  
" I understand. It's not like there's anything out there for me," she said bitterly, " all I have is here."   
  
" Welcome to the underground, kid," he said as he opened another secret door that Jessica hadn't known was there. Light suddenly flooded the small entryway she had been standing in and Jessica looked out into what she would one day call home.   
  
It was nothing spectacular. It was drab to say the least and a little crowded. Mutants much like her self talked amongst themselves. Some of them Jessica noted looked very different from normal people, physical mutations, and others that could blend in with a crowd. The walls were gray cinderblock with signatures, messages, and drawings.   
  
The man from the entrance led her past all this near a small room off to the side. " Stay here," he ordered, " I'll ask if she'll see you." He slowly opened the door and disappeared.  
  
Jessica continued to look around and contented herself to read some of the signatures on the wall so as not to wander too far from the office area.   
  
Ding, ding, ding, a bell rang out. The room was quickly exited as the teens left through doors on the far side of the room on opposite ends of the wall. Now alone, Jessica ventured from the safety of the wall to take a better look at the vacant room. It seemed larger without the huge crowd. She saw that besides the doors that they had all left through there were also doors to the left and to the right.   
  
A hand clamped down on her shoulder, making her jump and spin around to face the man. " She'll see you," his head motioned to the office.  
  
" Okay," Jessica said hesitantly and turned to walk toward the door. With a deep breath she turned the knob and walked in.   
  
" You must be Jessica," a woman's voice told her. " You can set your things down. It's not like anyone will steal them here."  
  
" Let me guess, Specter told you who I was," Jessica commented, setting down her bag.  
  
" No, Specter doesn't report to me, he doesn't even work for me. He talks to my guards. I know your name because Mark mentioned it when he told me you were here.'  
  
" If Specter doesn't work for you why did he tell me to come here?"  
  
" Specter works for himself and his own futile mission. His mutation allows him to sense mutants, especially high concentrations of them, besides his ghostly color. When he senses a mutant he directs them to the nearest group of mutants. The mutants he helps call him Specter because he mysteriously comes from out of nowhere, offering them help, and then disappearing just as quickly," she took a sip from her water glass and caught Jessica's green eyes with her brown ones, " You thirsty," she asked. Jessica shook her head. " By the way, I'm Diane, but most of the kids here cal me 'ma' or 'siren'. Whichever you prefer is fine by me."  
  
" So what do you do ... I mean, what do we do down here?" Jessica spoke up.  
  
" I'm simply management, I run things here. You are here to learn to control your gifts."  
  
" What's in it for you?" Jessica questioned.  
  
" Nothing much, except that you're obligated to stay and help for a while once you're done training and go on to some place else. Of course," she smiled, " with the laws nowadays none of us might ever leave."   
  
'Sounds simple enough,' Jessica thought to herself.  
  
" Now, if there's no further questions, I'll get you a trunk, a lock, and give you the grand tour." She stood up from behind her desk and walked toward the door. On her way out she grabbed a combination lock. Jessica followed her as she walked out the door and turned right.  
  
" These are the girls' dormitories, the boys' are on the other side," she motioned toward the far side of the room.   
  
Siren then opened the door to the girls' room but what she saw wasn't a bedroom but a small room with many small doors. " The closet room," Siren commented. " If you want to hang something up you'll need to buy your own lock, best to get one with a combination." She opened the largest of the doors to reveal a row of bunk beds and trunks that lined the perimeter of the room. Some of the beds were piled with blankets while others were bare. Siren indicated a rather beaten trunk, " This one's empty. But your bed's another story. Don't get too comfortable anywhere just in case the bed happens to be occupied. The bathroom is over there."   
  
Jessica opened the trunk and placed her duffel bag into it. Siren handed her the combination lock with a slip of paper. " Burn it once you have it memorized," she advised.  
  
Jessica silently read the numbers 23-5-35 and turned the lock's dial. The lock opened with a satisfying click as she then placed it on the trunk's padlock.   
  
The room was dead silent except for some incoherent mumblings that she hadn't noticed until now. Jessica looked around for the source until she spotted a small, frail-looking girl perched on the top of one of the bunks. A blanket was wrapped around her and a huge book rested in her lap. The girl's brown hair was put into two braids ending in baby blue bows.  
  
" Who's she," Jessica asked.  
  
" Oh, that's just Gracie. Don't pay any attention to her. Nobody else does, unless she wants something."  
  
"Why's she in here by herself?"  
  
"She doesn't really converse with others voluntarily. We've stopped trying to make her do anything she doesn't want to." Siren replied.  
  
"But..." Jessica began.  
  
" Don't concern yourself too much, okay? She's a lost cause and you'll just make your head hurt trying to solve her problems." Jessica knew that this was her warning to drop the subject.  
  
Siren led her back out of the girl's dormitory and through the doors the teens had disappeared through. The next room was homier and rather well furnished in comparison to what Jessica had seen, obviously the living room. " The door to the right's the kitchen. You'll have your turn with seven others in the kitchen once in a while."   
  
Jessica poked her head into the kitchen area to find a wide array of stoves lining one wall and a menagerie of dirty pots and pans filling the sinks. 'Probably infested with rats or cockroaches' she thought to herself and quickly pulled her head back out to take another look at the other room.  
  
There were plenty of couches and chairs as well as tables ranging in sizes. Garbage cans lined most of the wall near the kitchen.  
  
" What about those doors," Jessica asked, noticing doors on the remaining two walls of the room.  
  
" Those doors lead to the training ring," Siren smiled as she opened one of the doors and lead Jessica inside.   
  
She had never seen so many mutants in one place before, and her eyes grew wide as saucers as she watched sparks and flames erupting from all over the room, especially near the center.  
  
" The only other rooms you need to know about are to the right and left. They're the private rooms, which go to the best of you. It's something to strive for, I hear it's rather hard to get a shower in the girl's bathroom." She smirked and told Jessica that she was free to do whatever she wanted for the rest of the day, as long as she checked the chore board for her name and group number.  
  
She spent most of the remainder of the afternoon watching her fellow mutants. Every now and then one of them would glace her way and give her a sign of acknowledgement. Others just glared. One girl with skin so fair it was white and white hair to match gave her a such a cold stare she could feel a chill deep inside her.  
  
After that she decided it would be better to spend the rest of the day somewhere else. Not to her room, the mumblings of the small girl would drive her nuts. The living room seemed to be her best bet at some piece and quiet for the time being. And she could have the TV to herself, and obvious bonus. However, she wasn't alone for long...  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, what did ya think? Please let me know. This is my first time writing fanfiction so please be gentle in your reviews. Constructive criticism is okay but flaming is just mean. 


	2. New Aquaintances

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own anything so don't sue me.  
  
  
Well, here's the second chapter. It doesn't really matter if anyone's reading this because I'm gonna continue to write it anyway. But if there is someone reading this I'd appreciate it if you would review just so I'm aware that there's someone reading it. You know, just as common courtesy.  
  
  
Other mutants began to come in, forcing her out of her lounging space on the couch. She had also lost the remote, but only because it had somehow found its way from the arm of the couch into the hands of a short, brown-haired girl.  
  
"Aww man! Not Jeopardy," complained a boy with unruly bluish black hair. " For the love of all that's holy change the channel!"  
  
" Shut up, Jedi boy," the brunette scolded, " You had the remote on Monday and forced us to watch your favorite show. Besides, I'm not the only one who wants to watch Jeopardy. Angelique wants to watch it too. Don't ya Angel?"   
  
This seemed highly unlikely as the dark-skinned girl she must have been talking to had her head hidden behind a book. "Mmn hm," she answered, adjusting her gold-rimmed glasses.  
  
"She doesn't care," another boy piped up.  
  
" Sure she does, just watch," the small girl said as the first category, children's literature for 100, was picked.  
  
'This author wrote the book Charlotte's Web,' the host read.  
  
" Who is E.B. White," Angelique droned, not looking up from her book.  
  
"Uh, who is E.B. White," the contestant answered.  
  
" How does she do that?" The boy with the unruly hair cocked his head suspiciously to glimpse at the title of the book the girl was reading. " Who's the newbie," he asked, noticing Jessica for the first time.  
  
Jessica jumped up from her seat, startled and very much aware of the ten pairs of eyes staring at her.  
  
" Her name's Jessica you twit," Angelique stated.  
  
" Jessica what," he asked this time addressing Jessica herself.  
  
" None of your business," she spat as she started to sit back down. She quickly jumped back up though when she felt someone else already sitting in her spot. She spun around and glared at the offender and came face to face with a very hairy, very viscous-looking lion, or at least something that resembled one.  
  
" Oh! I'm so sorry. I must have been in your seat. I'll just be going now," Jessica sputtered, and hurried off to find a seat at an empty table to think.  
  
However, despite everything she couldn't get herself to focus. " Is someone sitting her," a very familiar voice asked.  
  
"No," she said as she looked up and realized why the voice sounded so familiar. The stranger looked exactly like herself, only in different clothing. " I mean, no, you can't sit her!"  
  
" Huh?" Jessica watched as the copy's face scrunched up in confusion. " But you said 'no' to my question which would normally mean yes, I can sit here." The copy, noticing Jessica's look of horror, looked downward at it's feet and then around to it's back and finishing it's inspection by pulling a strand of dark, black hair forward. " I'm a girl," the copy yelled. Then looking at Jessica and back at itself it added, " I'm not just any girl... I'm you!" The copy covered its face as it blushed.   
  
The copy's hair then shortened and became a dirty shade of blond. When his hands were removed from his face, still rather red with embarrassment, they revealed blue eyes with a crooked nose set between them, as if it had been broken at one time. " I'm so sorry," he told her. " I saw you from a distance and was trying to remember if I had seen you around before. I'm, uh, not very good at controlling my shape-shifting yet. Sorry if I scared you. Name's Danny, how about you?"  
  
" Jessica," she said, suddenly looking at the floor.  
  
" What's wrong? Do I still have your nose or something?"  
  
" No, I was staring is all. I know it's not polite."  
  
" I don't mind," he said as he straddled the chair across from her. " So, what's your story?'  
  
Jessica sat, looking down at the table. She didn't feel like talking about the horrible events that had brought her down here. It seemed like they sat in silence for an eternity before it was broken by a very loud, boisterous voice coming from behind Jessica. " Are you pestering her?"  
  
"No!" Danny crossed his arms, a bit defensive. " We were just talking."  
  
" Doesn't seem like you were talking. And if I know you like I think I know you YOU were doing all the talking, Danny, I'm sure of it."  
  
" I just asked her a question."  
  
" Well maybe you should make the questions easier," the girl said, taking a seat next to Danny and putting her feat on the table. Her shoulder length hair shone in an array of colors. Her eyes then caught Jessica's as they also contained a mixture of colors, which swirled. " Orphan or Runaway," she asked.  
  
Jessica broke out of the daze the girl's eyes had put her in. " Huh?"  
  
" Orphan or runaway? Question's simple enough and it doesn't go into all the messy details of your private life," she said, leaning back in her chair.  
  
Thinking about it Jessica replied, " Both."   
  
"Oooh, and exotic one. How'd you manage that? Oh wait, never mind you probably don't want to talk about it and we most likely would change our minds about wanting to hear about it afterward. I'm a runaway myself. So's Danny-boy here. You should ask him about it some time. I here it's a fascinating tale about truth, justice, and the American way." She smiled as she got up.  
  
" Leaving so soon?" Danny asked.  
  
" Yeah, my show's on and I gotta go fight someone for the remote. On second thought maybe I'll just snatch it from them. See ya!" She gave a small solute before walking off.  
  
" And she says I talk a lot. You invite her over and she doesn't shut up until she leaves."  
  
"Who is she," Jessica asked, her eyes still a little dazzled by the largest amount of color she had seen since she had come here.   
  
" We call her Spectra. She won't tell anyone what her real name is. It's probably Gertrude or something."  
  
" Oh, that's understandable," she giggled. " So, when's dinner?"  
  
" In an hour or so. Plenty of time to waste."  
  
Jessica took the opportunity to ask a question that had been nagging her since the TV incident. " What's up with that girl, Angelique?"  
  
" No one warned you about the psychics did they?" Jessica shook her head. " Did she pull the name game trick on you?" Assuming it was the part when the girl had given out Jessica's name before she could do it herself, she nodded. " Showing off again. She reads minds, which is probably why she's so smart. Don't let it unnerve you. Best way is to keep up mental shields. Here I'll show you."  
  
It took a bit of practice but by the time smells started wafting through from the kitchen she had gotten the hang of it. " Mmmmm, smell that?" Danny asked, taking a deep whiff of the air.  
  
Jessica sniffed a bit as well, " Smells like something's burning."  
  
" Must be a Friday then. Puck's group never can manage without turning something to charcoal."  
  
" Is everyone so bad at cooking?"  
  
" Nah, just them."  
  
  
Dinner was served within the hour and although Jessica became caught up in a lively conversation with her new acquaintance she stopped talking to watch as Gracie poked her head around the corner of the door, still wrapped up in an afghan. The small girl darted into the kitchen and tiptoed back out with a small plate of food.  
  
"Um, hello, Earth to Jessica?" Danny waved his hand in front of her face. "What are you thinking about?"   
  
" Just wondering what's wrong with Gracie."  
  
" With who," Danny asked, mouth filled with his last bite of burnt apple pie, a treat to be relished as far as he was concerned, Jessica had decided not to take any.  
  
" With Gracie," she replied, watching him scrape his plate clean.  
  
He licked his fork, " Once again who?"   
  
" A little girl, brown pigtails, bows, mumbles to herself, a little jumpy. She came in her a second ago and looked like she was scared to death. Ring any bells?"  
  
" Sorry, but no. I've heard about her, but only the rumors. You'd have to talk to one of the girls to find out what's wrong with her."  
  
" And here I thought you'd be one of those guys who made it their business to know about everything."  
  
" I do make it my business when it affects me."  
  
" That's typical."  
  
" Typical?"  
  
" Yes, most people down here seem to care only about themselves."  
  
" And you're saying you're not like that?" Danny cocked an eyebrow.  
  
" No, I'm not."  
  
" What makes you care so much about a complete stranger?"  
  
" I don't know. I've just always been against not caring about someone you know nothing about, judging by appearances, you know? Of course, it never bothered my mother's parents."  
  
" Obviously you weren't close."  
  
"No, not because I didn't want to, but because they were to stubborn to see my dad as a person and not as a freak. After they found out he was a mutant they disowned my mom out of fear for things they didn't understand. I try not to blame them. I mean, it's not their fault they acted out of fear."  
  
" You are too much," Danny chuckled.  
  
" Why?"  
  
" You have this big sense of justice and all, but down here it doesn't mean squat. The sooner you get it through your head to stop caring about those who don't give a rat's tail about you the happier you'll be."  
  
" That's a stupid philosophy that you made up so you don't have to care about anyone but yourself," Jessica snapped.  
  
" Oh is it," he asked, getting up from his seat.  
  
" Yes."  
  
" Do you have any real clue why we're down here and not in some mansion? It's because people up there are afraid of us. Some people don't like us hanging around their stores and those 'Friends of Humanity' are a real pain in the butt. If it weren't for them our lives would be a whole lot easier. No stupid inspectors coming to houses asking if there's a mutant in the house and then claiming to take them to some place that can 'fix' their 'problem'. I didn't leave my house because I wanted to. I left because I had to. It makes their lives a whole lot easier without having to cover up for my power going on the fritz. And had you gone to the orphanage the Friends of Humanity would have picked you up like that," he snapped his fingers. " The world above the sewers just isn't safe for mutants. And if it weren't for those stupid people you feel so sorry for we wouldn't be where we are today."   
  
With that he stormed off, probably to clear his head. Jessica on the other hand had nothing to do but go to her own room to contemplate this new life with a few tears.   
  
  
  
The end for now but more will come weather you like it or not. And once again please R&R I'd like to read some feedback, even if it is a flame. 


	3. Rise and Shine

Disclaimer: Once again I own nothing. So therefore don't sue me.   
  
I'd like to thank those of you who reviewed my story so far. Niteflite, Bain, Talentless you guys made my day! As to a question that came up in the reviews the story takes place a good couple of years after where we are right now in the X-Men Evolution timeline. Enjoy!  
  
  
She was suffocating! Water dragged her down into its depths below the surface and she was powerless to stop it. She tried to grab onto something, her claw-like nails extended, but all she could grasp was water, which slipped through her fingers. She was going to drown. She struggled some more before drifting off into unconsciousness...  
  
Jessica's eyes snapped open, realizing it was only a dream as she caught her breath. Her hand flew to her neck, where she knew her necklace should be. It was there. She didn't know why, but something about her fellow mutants down here made her worry about things going missing.  
  
Memories of the argument with Danny the night before came back to her. She felt bad about it. It wasn't exactly his fault that her ideals didn't match with what everyone else in this pit thought. And in her heart she knew that she'd have to get rid of some morals and ideals in order to fit in, but she didn't want to.   
  
She forced herself to get out of bed and find her trunk, which wasn't at the foot of the bed she had chosen. She heard a satisfying click as she spun the dial, assuring her that not only did she have the combination memorized, but it was also her trunk. She smiled as she saw that all of her belongings were still there. She grabbed a pair of khaki cargo pants and a dark blue shirt before heading to the bathroom to change and wash up.  
  
She emerged from the girls' rooms feeling refreshed and ready to face anything that was thrown at her, even if she was still a little bitter. She sniffed the air. Pancakes, she thought to herself as she grabbed a plate, fork, and a glass of milk along with her own stack of two pancakes.   
  
Jessica sat close to a bunch of girls whom she vaguely recalled seeing in the dorm, hoping that Danny wouldn't decide to sit by her this morning.   
  
As it turned out, the girls had commandeered a plate of bacon and were dealing it out amongst themselves. Jessica simply stared at the plate, mouth watering. She hadn't had bacon in a while, and watching it sit there was pure torture.   
  
"You want a piece," a soft voice, belonging to a blond with wind-blown hair asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you," Jessica replied as the plate was passed to her and she picked out an extra crispy strip.  
  
" Thought so," the girl smiled. " By the way, I'm Erica."  
  
" Jessica," she replied picking off a corner of the bacon and putting it into her mouth, as timid as a mouse with a crumb.   
  
" What group are you in," Erica asked.  
  
" I don't know," Jessica admitted. I was told to check the chore board but I haven't the slightest clue where it is."  
  
" No problem, it's over there," the girl pointed to the far wall. " Nothing starts for another 45 minutes anyways so you've got time."  
  
" Any bids on the last piece of bacon," a loud blond asked. She looked just like Erica, except she had her hair kinked with black pants on and a teal tank top, which showed her mid-drift. Jessica looked at Erica, who was more conservative with light blue jeans, a little frayed at the ends, and a white short-sleeved shirt with eye-lit lace.  
  
" I'll take it," A girl with long, jet-black heir and large pointy ears spoke up.  
  
" How much," The blond asked.  
  
" Twenty-five cents."   
  
The blond thought this over in her head for a moment before yelling, " Going once, twice... SOLD!" She jumped down from the chair she had been standing on, setting the plate down. The dark-haired girl got up from a lone seat at the next table over and walked over. The blond held out her hand into which the dark-haired girl placed a quarter.  
  
" Wonderful doing business with you," the blond smiled.  
  
Just as the girl reached out to grab the bacon, a fine silver thread shot out and snatched the bacon from the plate. "Hey," the dark-haired girl protested, " That's my bacon eight legs!" She glared at the smaller girl Jessica had seen the day before. The small girl just smiled as she took a bite of the bacon. " Mmmm," she replied, " Tastes good."   
  
" Guess you gotta be faster than that, elf," the blond scolded with a smirk.  
  
" Well then I want my 25 cents back," the "elf" snapped.  
  
" Sorry no refunds."   
  
At this the dark-haired girl lunged at the blond, knocking her to the ground. Then they both went flying through the air to smack against a nearby wall. " Let go of me," the blond screeched once again, being knocked into the wall.  
  
"Gladly," the dark-haired girl replied, reaching into the blond' s pocket and retrieving the quarter. She then let go of the girl and they went tumbling to the ground.  
  
The blond rubbed her arm with a grimace, " Jerk," she muttered.  
  
" Always happy to oblige," the dark-haired girl shot back.  
  
" Oh, rich girl wanna go at it again now that she's got some distance between us," the blond snapped.   
  
" Nah, I don't wanna bridge that gap again. I can only deal with so much bonding a day." The girl then continued to her table and sat down, picking at the crumbs on her plate.  
  
" Thinks she's better than us 'cause she came from a wealthy family. Don't mean squat down here," the blond complained bitterly. The other girls just nodded in agreement.   
  
Jessica continued to munch her bacon as she got up to check the chore board. She quickly scanned the names until finding her own. " Group three," she chirped as she pivoted around to find Danny's smiling face.  
  
" What do you want jerk-off?" she asked.  
  
Danny's smile left his face." I probably deserve that."  
  
" Probably. Do I have to repeat the question?"  
  
" No, I came to apologize. I was really stupid yesterday and I hope you'll forgive me. Living down here takes its toll, you forget what it's like to have ideas like that, to trust that there's some good in people." He looked down at his feet, waiting for a blow of some form to hit him, but it never came.  
  
" I suppose I'll forgive you," she smirked. " Besides, someone has to keep you honest."  
  
" With who?"  
  
" Yourself"  
  
" I don't lie. I always tell the truth."  
  
" Now that was a lie," Jessica giggled.  
  
"Yeah, it was."  
  
" So, why'd you decide to apologize? You barely know me. You could never speak to me again if you wanted to."  
  
" Well, that's just the point. I don't know you all that well, but I'd like to. Besides, you're in Group Three with me. I can't have you not speaking to me when we have to deal with each other every day. I already know some people who won't talk to me for the rest of their life, I don't need to add to the list."  
  
" So who else did you tick off," Jessica prodded.  
  
" No one you'd know," Danny smiled evasively.  
  
" Try me. Besides, I'll find out sooner or later."  
  
" I'm not gonna ruin my now spotless record with you by letting it slip who I now have to hide from for the rest of my natural born life."  
  
" That bad, huh?"  
  
"Ooh yeah."   
  
  
  
Well, that's all for now. I'll try to update soon. Please review and tell me what you think. Bye! 


	4. friends and fights

Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. School's been hectic but now it's almost over, Yay! Hope you enjoy this chapter.   
  
Disclaimer: As I've stated in the past three chapters I do not own x-men evolution or any characters associated therein.   
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
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The day flew by as far as Jessica could tell. The bell rang for them to go to the training ring and her day began. Her group consisted of Danny, the mutant who resembled a lion, called Tomas "Manx", the "Jedi boy" Two-step, a small red-haired boy called R-2, Spectra, Arachne, and the girl with the large ears.   
  
She hadn't been able to pick out the girl's name due to the fact that during the course of the morning she had been called many things; most of them eluding to the fact that she must have come from a wealthy family. And the fact that she might have come from money resulted in nothing but malice from the others. Taking these facts into consideration, Jessica watched the girl most of the day and came to the simple conclusion that the girl didn't deserve it. She never spoke up or interacted with the others when they yelled at her, appearing to want nothing to do with them.  
  
During the course of the day Jessica was paired up with the girl to practice a series of ducks, punches, and blocks, ending with one of them being flipped onto their back. She noted as she flipped the girl over that her shoes were worn-in, dirty and almost falling apart, unlike the rest of the girl's clothing, which was spotless. She obviously made due with old shoes if it meant her clothes were taken care of, unlike some of the other people's clothes, which were threadbare in places.  
  
When the lunch bell rang Jessica followed the girl to an empty table. "Um, could I sit with you," she asked.  
  
The raven-haired girl just stared at Jessica. "What's the catch," the girl finally asked.  
  
"Nothing, I just thought, seeing how we're in the same group, we could get to know each other. I'm Jessica," she extended her hand.  
  
" You're not gonna make fun of me?"  
  
"No."  
  
The girl's stony face lifted into a small smile as she took Jessica's hand. " I'm Andria or Link (as Siren calls me)."   
  
" You've been here for a while, haven't you?"  
  
" Three years. You must be new here."  
  
Jessica smirked, " This is my second day."  
  
"Figured as much. So, what do you think of the place?"  
  
" Love the décor, and those mismatched pieces of furniture are to die for. You simply must get me the name of the decorator."  
  
" It'll be hard," Andria joked, " he only works for the rich and famous."  
  
Lunch, obviously the cheap meal of the day, consisted of small sandwiches and a glass of water. After they were done Jessica returned to the training room to find it completely different from the way she had left it. Groups that had earlier been separate were all gathered around the middle of the room.   
  
  
  
Jessica looked at Andria, " What's going on?"  
  
"Sparring matches," Andria answered, " to see how groups are progressing. We're randomly selected and fight 'til one of us gives the signal for surrender, or are rendered unconscious, whichever comes first."  
  
" So in other words I get the crap kicked out of me."  
  
"Pretty much, yeah."  
  
"Great." She could hardly watch as the matches went on. She hated seeing the hurt teens exiting the ring and the victor getting pats on the back. She shook with nervousness as she awaited her own funeral.  
  
The crowd was beginning thin out when Jessica's name was called out, along with another, Shackle. "Shackle," Jessica looked to Andria for some words of wisdom, but all she got was some whispered words of support and a small shove towards the center. 'Great,' Jessica thought to herself,' not only am I a complete rookie but this person goes by a nickname?' "I'm gonna die," she said when she reached the center to find her opponent already waiting for her.  
  
  
  
Shackle turned out to be a girl, not exceptionally tall or threatening looking. The scariest part about her was her ghostly, almost transparent skin. Her straight sea green hair reached her shoulders and melon orange wisps of hair framed her face. She wore baggy clothing, the sleeves of her shirt long enough to completely cover her hands and a scarf hung around her neck. The girl just stood there as they were given the signal to go.  
  
Jessica couldn't bring herself to move. 'Scared stiff' she thought to herself. While her heart was beating rapidly in her chest the other girl continued to stand perfectly still. What was she waiting for? Shouts of "Chicken" reached Jessica's ears before she suddenly felt as though she were being ripped from her skin and thrust into ice water. Looking at her hands she realized they weren't her own and glancing across the ring she saw her own body walking towards her. Jessica couldn't think straight as her senses screamed out that she was freezing, numb all over.   
  
Then, she once again felt ripped from her skin and found herself feeling warm and looking at her attacker, Shackle. She let out a sigh before a ghostly hand came at her. Jessica quickly dodged out of the way, just missing the fist when a very solid foot collided with her face, knocking her to the ground. Shackle loomed over her. In a state of panic Jessica cried out, "I give!"  
  
Shackle stopped where she stood and then bent down to help Jessica up, "I'm sorry," the girl whispered, before walking off.   
  
"Oh my God! Are you okay," Andria asked, running over to her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, but this fist collided with my face...and now it's throbbing."  
  
"We should probably get some ice," Andria told her.  
  
"Don't you still have to go," Jessica asked. "You could get your face to match."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What happened? What'd I miss," Danny questioned, seeing them enter the common room.  
  
Jessica glared at him before answering, " I ran into a brick wall. What do you think happened? I got my butt whooped. Nice of you not to stick around to watch."  
  
"I...I needed to get a drink of water. Plus, watching your best friend get killed isn't the prettiest site in the world."  
  
"Best friend," Jessica asked.  
  
"Okay, good friend."  
  
"Right now I'd settle for acquaintance because besides telling me what I want to know you've done absolutely nothing."  
  
"I think I'll just go get that ice," Andria excused herself, making a quick exit.  
  
"Well," Danny countered," to my knowledge you've made a couple of "friendly acquaintances", but I think that I should get some credit for being your first acquaintance."  
  
"Okay, I'll upgrade you to friend but don't go looking for the title of "best" for a while, okay?"  
  
"I guess, now let's get you a throne to sit on while we wait for Andria with that ice."  
  
"I'm surprised you know her name."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'm surprised you know Andria's name."  
  
"Of course I know her name, she's been here longer than I have."  
  
"I was just surprised because you usually call her something else."  
  
"I'm not the only one," Danny replied. " Everyone does it, 'cause we know she's from a rich family."  
  
"Well, she's not rich now is she?"  
  
"No, probably not."  
  
"Then drop the names; it's not nice."  
  
Danny laughed, "So, now you're playing the part of my conscience, too?"  
  
"Just 'til yours comes back from vacation."  
  
"That may take a while, but when it comes back can yours take a vacation so I can pick on your flaws?"  
  
"Maybe...but don't count on it."  
  
"I got it," Andria said, handing Jessica a small bag of ice. "Put it on that eye before it starts changing colors."  
  
"I think it already did," Jessica replied, hissing as the cold bag hit her skin.  
  
"Someone should have warned you about Shackle," Andria told her.  
  
Upon hearing this Jessica glared at Danny, "What, I'm not your only friend! Go glare at Andria. Sheesh, just because I already know about these things doesn't mean she can't learn through trial and error."  
  
"What'd she do to me," Jessica asked.  
  
"A body switch," Andria replied," It's her basic attack, and if you're not ready for it, it can be quite shocking."  
  
"Is she always that cold? I mean, I was beginning to feel a bit hypothermic."  
  
"She is as far as any of us can tell. I gotta go, it's probably my turn, maybe I'll be joining you in the world of black and blue," Andria joked as she got up and left.  
  
"So, um, you hungry," Danny asked sheepishly.  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, 'cause I thought maybe we could get some ice cream or something."  
  
"It's a little cold outside for ice cream and I'm not going anywhere with a black eye," Jessica stated.  
  
"Well, you wouldn't have to."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I thought we could bring Spectra along and she could work some of her magic on your eye. And since you don't want ice cream we can get some cinnamon buns, it's never too cold for them."  
  
"Danny, you're incorrigible."  
  
"I know," he smirked, "So is that a yes?"  
  
"Only if Andria gets to come too."  
  
"I'm not gonna be outnumbered three to one by girls, if she comes Manx gets to come too."  
  
"Won't people notice he's a little, um, different?"  
  
"Are you really that dense?"  
  
"Oh, right; Spectra can fix that."  
  
" Now you're catching on."  
  
"It won't be a problem for her?"  
  
"Nah, she'll just be a little more quiet than usual. And just in case something goes wrong he'll wear his jacket with the big hood, it's worked before."  
  
"Well, then I guess we could," Jessica told him.  
  
Danny smiled, "Great!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Andria later returned from the ring without a scratch on her, or so it seemed. So after a small dinner they started off, Andria with a hat pulled over her large ears, Manx with a hooded jacket, and Spectra in tow, talking the whole way.  
  
The cinnamon buns were delicious, as could be expected, and as soon as they were consumed the mutants began to converse. Manx however remained silent. Despite this fact, her companions seemed to talk to Manx almost constantly. After a loud bout of laughter Manx looked at her and the teens became silent.   
  
Manx looked pleadingly at her, as if begging her to answer a question that had gone unheard. He then rummaged through his coat pockets to produce a pen. Precariously taking the cap off with his paw-like hands and grabbing an unused napkin he clumsily began to scrawl a question. After forming only a few letters he threw down the pen in frustration and once again looked at her with pleading eyes.  
  
Danny leaned over from his seat next to Jessica, "um, Jess?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You know those mental shields I taught you to put up?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Well, would you mind lowering them a bit so Manx can talk to you? He can't use his vocal cords to talk anymore but his mutation's compensated for it by letting him speak telepathically. You got your shields up so high he can't get a word in edgewise."  
  
"Oh! Of course," she said," sorry, Manx." Concentrating, she tried to lower the mental shields; tired of concentrating she let them fall all together since she wasn't around any telepaths. "That better," she asked.  
  
"Much," Manx's deep voice replied in her head. "Now, my question was; what do you think of our little society so far?"  
  
"Oh, it's different. I just have a couple of questions. First of all, are most of our meals like our extravagant lunch and dinner consisting of soup and bread?"  
  
" Yeah, we put out the special stuff just for the first two meals," Danny smirked, " but every now and then we get a couple extra bucks and get to eat something better. Next question?"  
  
"Okay, what's the main source of income? What's keeping all that stuff underground running?"  
  
Spectra made a tsking noise, " Oh no you don't. We can't tell you that until you've been around for a while; its policy."  
  
"And it shouldn't really matter to you for a while anyways," Andria said.  
  
"Okay, I guess that's it, except for one that's really been nagging me. Is that your real color, Spectra?"  
  
Spectra nearly spit out her soda at the question while everyone else just laughed. Wiping her mouth with her coat sleeve Spectra graciously replied, "That information is between me and my hair stylist."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So what did you think of this chapter? Do I still have your attention? Let me know in a review. Hopefully I'll update soon. Bye! 


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